


The One With Carol's Butterflies

by periwinklepromise



Series: Femslash February 2020 [13]
Category: Friends (TV)
Genre: Coming Out, Episode: s07e16 The One With The Truth About London, F/F, Femslash, Femslash February 2020, Kissing, Questioning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-13
Updated: 2020-02-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:07:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22702186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/periwinklepromise/pseuds/periwinklepromise
Summary: “How did you know you were a lesbian?”“I met Susan.”
Relationships: Rachel Green/Carol Willick, Susan Bunch/Carol Willick
Series: Femslash February 2020 [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1619608
Comments: 2
Kudos: 26





	The One With Carol's Butterflies

**Author's Note:**

> Entirely inspired by the "Carol ... Lesbian?" "Nice" joke from this episode, because I turned to my roommate and said, "Rachel only said that because she's just realized she's a lesbian"

This is a mistake.

Out of all the … errors in judgment … Rachel has made – almost marrying Barry, running after Ross in London, getting that perm in middle school – this is sure to be her absolute worst. So she should turn around right now and go home.

She fiddles with the strap of her purse and knocks on the door.

Carol Willick-Bunch opens the door with a bright smile, and yes, Rachel's breath stops, but that could just be the anxiety. It doesn't necessarily means anything. “Rachel! Hi! … What are you doing here?” She is trying to be nice, but the confusion is clear on her face.

“Oh, I was just in the neighborhood, and I thought to myself, _How is Carol?_ So I decided to drop by!” She is rambling. She really needs to stop rambling.

“Of course, come in!” Carol agrees, waving her in. Rachel barely steps into the apartment, holding her purse tightly. “I'll start some coffee, and we can … catch up.”

“I would love that,” she says with a bit too much passion, “I would _love_ that.”

Carol moves to her kitchen, and Rachel flits from one seat to the next trying to get comfortable. She is on the couch when Carol calls, “Do you want any milk?”

“Um, just some sugar would be great, Carol, thanks!” Why did she say it like that, she is such an idiot, _good one, Rach. Make some small talk and then get the heck outta here._

Carol returns with the coffee and takes the seat directly next to her. “So what's this about?”

“Oh, nothing, nothing, _nothing_!” Rachel rattles off. She needs to calm down. “Just catching up. How have you been?”

“Rachel,” she says calmly, and Rachel remembers too late that Carol teaches elementary school and is used to dealing with bad liars.

“Um. It's nothing! It's nothing. I just. Um.” She wrings her hands, anxiety ramping.

Carol's hand falls onto hers and squeezes. “Rachel? Are you okay?”

“How did you know you were a lesbian?” she blurts out. And then she feels fire take over her face. This is so embarrassing. She should leave.

Carol blinks. Then she smiles. “I met Susan.”

Oh. Of course. Susan. The other woman. The reason Ross and Carol got divorced. “So you never ... suspected?”

“I had noticed women before, thought they were beautiful. But I met Ross in college, and we got married. And I did love Ross. I know everyone thinks I never did, but I _did_ love him. I still do. But I love Susan more. When I met her,” Carol sighs and shakes her head, “Everything started making sense. I had fallen for Ross, but it had taken time. I fell for Susan the first day I met her.”

“But when did you _know_?” Rachel stresses.

Carol smiles. “The first time we kissed. All that stuff from romance novels? The fireworks, the butterflies? They finally happened for me.”

“Oh.” Rachel frowns.

Carol sighs and rolls her eyes, but she's still giving an easy smile. “Are you asking for a kiss?”

Rachel freezes. She can't just … there's no way she could actually …

Carols rolls her eyes again as she inches forward, giving Rachel plenty of time to pull back.

She does not pull back.

Carol's lips are gentle and confident, and something sparks up Rachel's spine. She is kissing a woman. A woman. And it's wonderful.

Carol pulls away too soon and searches her eyes for something.

“Yep! Yeah, I'm gay,” Rachel announces breathlessly, reminding herself that this woman was her ex-boyfriend's ex-wife, not to mention _married_ , what is she doing? What is she _doing_?

The door opens.

Susan. Susan is home, oh no no no.

“Hi, hon, how is everything?”

“It's good!” Carol responds easily, standing up to meet her and give her a kiss. “I've almost earned a toaster.”


End file.
